Hydraulic elevator.



PATENTED JULY L 1905.

W. EL REEVES. HYDRAULG ELEVATOR..

APPLIOATXON FILED APR. 9,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 793907. PATENTED JULY L l905.

` W., H. REEVES HYDRAULIC ELEVATUR.

APPLIUATION FILED APB,9,1904.

MIE/MVV LUNE GMHMG IDGUWN.

PATENTED JULY 4, l905.

W. H.. REEVES. HYDRAULIC ELEVATOE.

APPLICATION FLED APR 9, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET S.

www if 413g@ veg,

LIGHT' LOAD {EUHNGJ UP.

PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

W. H. REEVES.

HYDRAULI ELEVATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APE.9,1904.

no. teaser.

Patented .l'uly a, 19035.

PATENT (Clienten.

l/VlLLlAM ll. REEVES, F ll'l. LOUIS, llfllliltltllllll.

SJPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,907, dated July l, 1905.,

Application filed April 9, 1904- Serial No. 202,404.

1'!) {t/f 'll/11,0711, il; 7114/4/ con/eww.;

Be it known that l, WiLLjIAM ll. Reeves, a citizen of the United States, residing` in. the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hydraulic Elevators, of which the followingI is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in. the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accornpanyingl drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-H lfiirure l. is a diagrammatical view of an elevater system cmistructed in :ucordancc with this invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical view ol' the system, showingl the positions of the various parts when the car is descending.;l with a heavy lead. Fig. El is a similar view when the car is descending with a light load. Fig. fl is a like view showing,l the positionsof the parts when the car is ascending` with a light load. Fig. 5 is a like view showing the positions of the parts when the car is ascendme; with a heavy load, and Figs. G and 7 are diagrammatieal views of the valve-controlling,` circuits and motor.

'lhis invention relates to hydraulic elevators; and the principal object thereof is to improve their elliciency by providing means wlua'eby power can be stored from the descent of a loaded car Yfor subsequent use in causing' the ascension of the car and by providingl means whereby the amount of power required to cause the ear to ascend will be commensurate with the weight of the load carried bythe car. In com]nolily-constructed hydraulic elevators the surplus power resultinp` from the descent of the car is wasted and. also the amount of the power required to cause the car to ascend is uniform irrespective of the weight of the load carried by the car.

(lther objects and advantages will be specifically described hereinafter, it being` understood that minor changes in form, proportion, and details of construction may be re sorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

ln the preferred embodiment of this invention a compartmcntal ram-cylinder is employed havingl an intermediate diaphragm l, forming the chambers 2 and 3, respectively, in which the pistons 1-, and 5 are mounted. On the free ends of the pistons -il and 5 are cross-heads (i and 7, which cross-heads are connected by rods s and l). Connected to one of the heads and pz'rssingl over a sheave (not shown) is a cable ll), which is suitably connected to the elevator-car ll, vertically movable in the shaft l2.

rlhe accumulator IS provided with a piston 3l) and a weight 3]. and is employed to create and maintain a uniform pressure in chamber 3 of the ram-cylinder.

'lhe accumulator ll) is provided with a piston and a variable sectional weight,a11d in order that the weight carried by piston 32 .may be varied, thereby giving variation to the pressure of the liquid within the accunmlatorcylinder, a suitable weight-support 33, having varying-sized seats 341-, 35, 3G, and 37, is employed, so that as the piston 32 d scends the weights will be released or permitted to rest upon their respective seats, thereby gradually lessening the pressure of the liquid, and as the piston. 32 asoends the weights will be successively' picked up and carried by the piston, thereby gradually increasingl the pressure ofthe liquid. lt is obvious that the pressure will vary according, to the amount of liquid contained in the acci1mulator-cylinder. This accumulator ll) employed to provide a variable ]p ressure in chamber 2 of `the ram-cylinder.

.ily the term accumulatorH as employed in the claims is meant the device of that name and commonly employed in connection with hydraulic apparatus for receiving" and storing power, said power being, given out automatically and without the application. of power thereto by means of valves, an example beingr found at 1S in the drawings, and by the term variable aocumulator7 is meant one inwhich the resistance to the reception of power is variable. Said term variable accumulator7 does not include a power-transmitting device in which the power introduced at one end and transmitted through the piston or ram to and given out by a body of liquid at the other end of the piston orram.

Preferably the accumulators 18 and 19 may be of the same capacity, and the maximum pressure exerted in the variable-pressure accumulator 19 may be the same as that exerted by the constant-pressure accumulatOi 1S.

The movements of the pistons 4 and 5 and the car 11 are caused by the difference between the constant pressure in the ram-cylinder 3, created by the accumulator 18, and the variable pressure in the ram-cylinder 2, created by the accumulator 19. The effect of the interaction of the elements of the system is to store power in the accumulator 18 when a heavy load is going down or to store power in accumulator 19 from accumulator 18 when a light load is going up.

The pump 13, preferably of the centrifugal tyqoe, that it maybe operated constantly at uniform speed and also consume power in approximate proportion to the volume of liquid handled and the difference between inlet and outlet pressures, is employed to transfer liquid from the cylinder of variablepressure accumulator 19 to the cylinder of the constant-pressure accumulator 18, thereby lessening the pressure in the cylinder 19 of the variable-pressure accumulator and the chamber 2 of the ram-cylinder until the pressure exerted on the piston 4 is sufficiently less than the pressure exerted on the piston 5 to move the pistons and causeithe car to ascend. Manifestly this necessary difference of pressure and the work of the pump will vary according to the weight of the load carried by the ascending car.

Assuming the car to be descending with a heavy load, the positions of the parts would be as shown in Fig. 2. The ram-cylinder 3 would be discharging the liquid displaced by the piston 5 into constant-accumulator cylinder 18 through the tubes 28 and 27, the ports of the valve-piston 25 and the valvecasing 24, the check-valve 28 and the tubes 21 and 19, the ports of the valve-piston 42 and the valve-casing 15 and tubes 16 and 17, and the chamber 2 of the ram-cylinder would be Jlling with liquid from the cylinder of the variable-pressure accumulator 19 through the tubes 38 and 39, the ports of the valvepiston 42, and the valve-casing 15 and the tube 29. lt is obvious that by this operation the quantity of liquid stored in the cylinder of the constant-pressure accumulator 18 will be increased and the quantity of liquid stored in the cylinder of the variablepressure accumulator 19 will be decreased, thereby storing up power for subsequent use in causing the car to ascend, consequently lessening the work of the pump for the succeeding trip.

Assuming the car to be descending with a light load of only suflicient weight to overcome friction, the positions of the parts would be as shown by Fig. 8. The liquid displaced from the chamber 3 of the ram-cylinder by the piston 5 would empty into the chamber 2 of the ram-cylinder through the tubes 28 and 27, the ports of the valve-piston 25 and the valve-casing 24, the check-valve 23, the tubes 21 and 40, the ports of the valve-piston 42 and the valve-casing 15, and the tubes 41 and 29. The tubes connecting the chamber 3 of the ram-cylinder with the cylinder of the constant-pressure accumulator 18 and the chamber 2 of the ram-cylinder with the cylinder of the variable-pressure accumulator 19 are open, thereby equalizing the pressure throughout the entire system.

Assuming that the car is ascending with a light load immediately succeeding a descent with a heavy load, the positions of the parts would be as shown in Fig. 4,the piston 30 of the constant-pressure accumulator' 18 being up and the piston 32 of the variable-pressure accumulator 19 being down. Therefore the pressure exerted on the ram-piston 4 is less than that exerted on the piston 5, thereby causing the rain-pistons 4 and 5 to move, the ram-cylinder 3 being filled with liquid from the constant-pressure-accumulator cylinder 18 through the tubes 17 and 16, the ports of the valve-piston 42 and the valve-casing 15, the tubes 19L1 and 20, the check-valve 22, and the ports of the valve-piston 25 and the valve-casing 24 and the tubes 26 and 28, and

the liquid displaced from the ram-chamber 2 by the piston 4 will be discharged to the cylinder 19 of the variable-pressure accumulator through the tubes 29, the ports of valve-piston 42 and the valve-casing 15, and the tubes 39 and 38. The car is thus caused to ascend without any work being performed by the pump.

Assuming the car to be ascending with a heavy load, the position of the parts will be as shown in Fig. 5. The pump 18 will transfer enough liquid from the cylinder 19 of the variable-pressure accumulator to Jthe cylinder 18 of the constant-pressure accumulator through the tubes 38 and 14 and the ports of the valve-piston 42 and the valve-casing 15, and the tube 17 to lessen the pressure sufficiently in the cylinder 19 of the variable-pressure accumulator and the chamber 2 of the ram-cylinder to cause the pistons 4 and 5 to move, the ram-cylinder 3 being supplied with liquid from the tube 17 through the tube 16, the ports of the valve-piston 42 and the valvecasing 15, the tubes 19a and 20, the checkvalve 22, the ports of the valve-piston 25 and the valve-casing 24 and the tube 28, and the liquid displaced from the ram-cylinder 2 by the piston 4 being discharged into the tube 38 through the tube 29 the ports of the valvepiston 42 and the valve-casing 15 and the tube 39.

An electromechamcal means is shown for controlling the pump and the accumulatore, which electromechanical means may com prise a valve 42, operated by an electric motor 43. Wherever the term electromechanical valve is used hereinafter, it is to be nnderstood that said term includes a valve with an electrical motor lor actuating the same. The valve 42 reciprocated in the valve-casing i5 by a reversible electric motor 43, having a rotatable threaded stem 44 engagingl a threaded opening in the yoke 45, lixed to the valve 42, so that the rotation olfA the motor and the stein will cause the Avalve to move in either direction to open or close the particular ports :in the valve-casing rerpiired to govern th e action o,|E the car.

lNhen the car is descending, the position oi the valve-piston in the valve-casing 24 will be as shown .in Figs. 2 and 3, and the check-valve 23 will permit the flow oi` the .liquid only in the direction indicated, thereby permitting the pistons 4 and 5 and the car to move only .in the one direction, thus avoiding any chance of the car ascending should the load on the car be materially diminished at an intermediate stop. l/Vhen the car is ascending, the position olE the valve-piston. 25 in the valve-casing 24 will be as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, and the check-valve 22 willp erin it the llow of the liquid only in the direction indicated, therebypermitting the pistons 4 and 5 and the car to move only in the one direction, thus avoiding any chance of the c ar descending should the load be materially increased at an intermediate stop.

In Fig. (i the controlling-lever is indicated as being in association with the contacts oi the circuits to cause the valves 25 and 42 to .move in one direction, while in Fig. 7 the controller is indicated as being in a position to cause an opposite polarity of motor, soleiloids, and. circuits, causing said valves to move in the opposite direction. Then it is desired to cause the valves to remain stationary in any desired position, the lever 52 is placed or moved to a neutral point between the pairs ol contacts 53 and 54 and 55 and 56.

By reference to Figs. 6 and 7 it will be noticed that suitable conductors 50 and 5l, lead from and. to a suitable source oi electrical generation, (not shown,) the conductor 50 being connected to a 1nanually-operable pivoted controller 52, located in the car and which is intermediately' insulated, so that one terminal will be capable of being contacted with either of the pairs ol opposite/lyarrangedcontacts 53 or 54 and the other end elE said iever lbeing capable ol contacting with either of the pairs of contacts or 56. The lead-in wi res 57 and 58 for the motor become alternately the positive and negative wires, according to the position olE the centrolling-lever 52. lt will be observed that the wire 57 is common to one ol the contacts 53 and one ol the contacts 56, while the wire 58 is common to one oi `ach pair ol.E cmitaets 54 or 55. Each of the wires 57 and 5t; is connected to one ol" the brushes oi" the motor 43. One of the respective pairs ol4 contacts 53 and 54 connected to the other by means of' a conductor 5E), so that both contacts are connected to a conductor ('50, passing through the [ield 6l ol." the motor 45:3, said conductor 6() l'orniing a part ol" the return -cenduetor 51. and shunted into the sole'noids 48 and. 4E), res]' ectively, the contacts 55 and 5G being connected to the respective solenoids by the conductors 62 and (i3. When the controller is in the position indicated in Fig. 6, the current will pass l'rom the generator through the in-lead wire 50, through the lever, l'roin one oil the contacts 54, as indicated by the arrows, through the wire 59;, thence through. lthe motor, through. the wire 57, through the contacts 5G, through the wire 63 to the solenoid 4S), and then. through the returi'i-conductor 5l. At the saine time the current will be supplied iirem the generator to pass tlnough the by-pass 60 and through the lfield o'l.I the motor to the return-conductor 5l. This will cause the motor to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows, so that the valve 42 will be reciprocaed a suf- Ylicient distance to open the necessary ports in the valve-casing, which will be governed by the load carried by the car. Sinlultaneously with the actuation of this valve the solenoid 4E) will move the valve i5 into the positions .indicated in Figs. 4 and 5 to perniit the introductioi'i of the necessary quantity el lluid in the chamber 3. From the `foregoiiig description it will be readily apparent that the reversal el the lever, as indicated in ii'ig. 7, will reverse the valves 25 and 42.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. A huid-actuated, valve-centrolled elevator system including a pump and accumulators col'ieratii'ig with the pump, one of which provides an apIriroximately constant pressure and the other a variable ressure, said pump having its suction connected to one accumulator and its delivery to the other; substantially as described.

2. A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator having a system provided with a storage-accumulator, a reciprocating piston in said accumulator for expelling the i luid therefrom, and supported, varying-weight@l arresting elements above the piston. and adapted to be unseated thereby; substantially as described.

3. in ailuid-actuated, valve-controlled el evator, the combination with a system ior raising and lowering the clevatorvage including a pump and an accumulator, el an electroinechanical valve :lor shutting oil the pump and for releasing the fluid in the accumulator, an energized electric circuit having spaced contacts, and a controller for connecting the contacts to actuate the valve 3 substantially as described.

il. A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system having constant and variable pressure accumulators in the system, and means in virtue of which power due to a heavy load coming down may be stored for subsequent use in one of said accumulatore; substantially as described.

A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator having variable and constant pressure accumulators with means for varying the power consumption in approximate proportion to the weight carried by the elevatorcar, substantiallyT as described.

6. A fluid-actuated,'valve-controlled elevator system having variable and constant pressure accumulators, a pump in the system and having communication with said accumulators, together with a valve, and connections whereby power due to a heavy load coming down may be si ved in one of the accumulators for subsequent use, substantially as described.

7. A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system comprising the elevator-car, means for actuating the same comprising two pistons connected to the car, and means for applying a di'l'l'erent pressure to each of the two pistons; substantially as described.

8. A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system having a pump and an accumulator, the motor for actuating the car and in communication with said pump and accumulator, said motor including two pistons, said accumulator and pump exerting a pressure on one of said pistons, means to exert a different pressure on the other of said pistons, and controlling devices; substantially as described.

9. A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system having therein a rotary pump, constant and variable pressure accumulators in the system, means for operating the car including two pistons, and means cooperating with the system for controlling the'application of the pressures exerted by the two accumulators to the two piston-faces; substantially as described.

10. A VHuid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system having an elevator-c ar, two pistons for actuating the car and connected to the same, two fluid-reservoirs, one of said reservoirs having means for maintaining an approximately uniform pressure and the other a varying pressure on the piston-faces respectively, and means to control said pressures; substantially as described.

ll. A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system, having a centrifugal pump, an accumulator, ported valves, and a motor for the car including two pistons, the pump, ac-

cumulator, ported valves, and elevator-operating means all communicating with each other, and a second source of pressure whereby the movement of the car may be caused by difference of pressure on the two pistoni'aces; substantially as described.

l2. A 'fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system having a motor-cylinder and constant and variable pressure accumulatore, a pump having its suction in communication with one of the accumulators and its discharge in communication with the other, and a single motor-controlled valve mechanism for reversing and controlling the supply of Vl'luid to and from the motor-cylinder and to and from the accumulators in communication with said motor-cylinder, substantially as described.

13. A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system in cludin g an elevator-car, means for operating the car and having two pistons, accumulators, and a valve in communication with the elevator-car-operating means, and an electrically-controlled valve having oppositely-opening check-valves coperating therewith for preventing the car from changing its direction of travel due to change in weight of the load; substantially as described.

14. A Huid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system including a car, and means for actuating said car comprising a compartmental cylinder, and two single-acting pistons in the respective compartments of the cylinder and connected together, said pistons being oppositely movable in the respective compartments, substantially as described.

l5. A 'fluid-actuated, valve-controlled clevator system including a pump, variable and constant pressure accumulators in the system, means of communication between the pump and the accumulators, a car-actuating means including a compartmental cylinder in the system and having'means for raising and lowering the car, and an electromechanical valve in the system for regulating the flow of 'fluid between the pump, actuating-cylinder, and accumulators; substantially as described.

16. A fluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system having a compartmental cylinder, two single-acting pistons for actuating the car, said pistons being oppositely movable in the compartments of the cylinder, an accumulator in communication with the cylinder for providing a constant pressure against one of the pistons and another accumulator 'for providing a variable pressure against the other piston, a pump for circulating the Huid, and a ported valve for controlling the l'low of Huid vfrom the pump to and from the actuating-pistons and accumulators; substantially as described.

17. A Vfluid-actuated, valve-controlled elevator system having a compartmental cylin- IOO IIO

der, e pulnp in velvetl eoiinn'luuicntion with one compartment ol the cylinder, two copernting pistons in the compertinentztl eylin der nucl connected to eecll other, ineens for controlling the pistons :incl for causing earch compartment to alternately becoinie e receivine' and discharging1 coinlmrtlnent, :ind .ineens :irrespective el the puinp :For varying the pressure in the respective compartments; substnntinlly :is described.

i8. A l'l.ui.cl-netunted, Valve-controlled eleveter systenii including t pulnp for promot- :ing1 the circulation oil.t e. suitable (luid, en electroniechenicel Valve in the system :tor shutting olf the pump and controlling the system7 cnr-elevating ineens includingl :t cylinder, e pipe in communication with the piunp and cyl inder, en electrolneclntnicel Valve between the :lirst-inentio]red valve sind the cylinder lfor ljn'eventing reversal. ol movement ot the cnr, together With oppositely-opening checkvelves between. the two electronicohenicnl Valves, en elevator-controller7 and en electric circuit connected to the valves and the controller lor reversing' both of the electromeclntnicnl valves substnntinlly es described.

11). A lluid-ztcttmted., y:uve-controlled. ele- 'veter system ceinprising,` controllingwnlves in the system, solenoids lor controlling one ol" the Valves, en electric motor for controlling' the other vulve, en electric circuit, :nul ineens in the circuit for simultaneously actuating both valves substantially described..

20. A lluid-nctunted, Valve-controlled elevator system comprising controlling-Valves in the system, solenoids for controlling` one otl the valves, :tn electric niotor .tor controllingI the other valve, :in electric circuit, nien-ns .in the circuit lier ectuati ng seid valves; substzni tizrlly its described.

2L A Huid-actuated, valve-controlled eleA veter system. lin-ving constnnt :nid variable pressure eceuimilsttors in the system, ineens .in virtue olf which power due to n. hezt'vy loud comil'lg down nnty be stored in one o'll seid ec cuinulzttors lier subsequent use, :rnd ineens 'for varying the power consumption during" ascent in epproxinnrte proportion lto the lend. carried by the cnr substantially its described.

lfn testiniiony' whereoll I hereunto nlliX. my signature, in the presence ol? two witnesses, this 6th clzty of April, 1904.

l/'Vllol'ilnltl H. ltllllllVES. Witnesses:

B. F. FUNK, @iconen BAKEWELL. 

